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Colombia 2024: Falconets off to Bogota for two-week final camping ahead World Cup finals

Published

6 months ago

August 17, 2024

Joel Ajayi

Two-time finalists Nigeria will set up camp in the Colombian capital, Bogota as from Sunday, for a two-week final camping programme leading to the commencement of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals which begin in that country on the last day of this month.

The ever-present Falconets, who also reached the semi-finals in Japan 12 years ago and have been in the quarter-finals in 2006, 2018 and 2022, grabbed one of Africa’s tickets to this year’s final tournament after aggregate-score defeats of Tanzania and Burundi.

The Coach Christopher Musa Danjuma-led maidens spent four weeks in the first phase of their final camping in Abuja, during which they won a series of friendly games, losing only once.

“I want to thank the NFF for arranging the two-week camping in Colombia. This will go a long way to help the team, as the players will acclimatize very well and get familiar with their surroundings before the championship begins. I assure you that we will make the best use of this opportunity,” Danjuma told thenff.com on Saturday, hours before the team was due to fly out of the country to Istanbul aboard a Turkish Airline flight, en route Bogota.

On Friday, Sports Minister John Owan Enoh met with the squad, and charged them to go for the ultimate prize having won the silver medals previously and being in the semi-finals once.

“Your predecessors have done well reaching the final of the competition on two occasions and making the semi-finals once. It is now time for you to take our country further by winning the trophy. I commend the NFF for arranging the two-week final camping for you in Colombia that will enable you to acclimatize very well before the tournament.

“The Government and the people of this great country are with you, and I am confident that you will not disappoint.”

Present in Canada in 2002 when the tournament was launched as an U19 Championship, the Falconets have participated in Thailand 2004, Russia 2006, Chile 2008, Germany 2010, Japan 2012, Canada 2014, Papua New Guinea 2016, France 2018 and Costa Rica 2022. The global coronavirus pandemic made any tournament impossible in 2020.

Already drawn to play Korea Republic, Germany and Venezuela in that order in the group phase, the Falconets know they must start fighting hard from the first blast of the whistle in Bogota to have any chance of making the Round of 16, as the competition welcomes 24 teams for the very first time.

With the field expanded to 24, Africa now has four flag-bearers (Nigeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Ghana this time) Matches will take place in four venues in three different cities (Bogotá, Medellín and Cali). There will be two venues in Bogotá – Estadio El Campín and Estadio Metropolitano de Techo. The Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín and the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali are the other venues.

Nigeria’s first match of the tournament against Korea Republic holds inside the 10,000 -capacity Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogota on 1^st September – the same venue where they confront Germany three days later. Their final match of the group phase is against Venezuela at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali on 7^th September.

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Rotary District 9127 To Donate $600,000 For Humanitarian Aid

Published

8 hours ago

February 20, 2025

The Gleamer

Rotary International District 9127 has announced plans to raise and donate 600,000 dollars to support humanitarian efforts in Nigeria during the 2025-2026 Rotary year through various funding initiatives.

District Governor-elect, Dame Princess Okoro, made this statement on Wednesday in Abuja during the District Team Learning Seminar (DTLS) for district officers.

Okoro explained that the goal was to increase the impact of Rotary’s work in Nigeria.

Detailing the funding distribution, she said that 300,000 dollars would be raised via the Annual Fund, 120,000 dollars through the Endowment Fund, and 180,000 dollars through PolioPlus.

Okoro emphasised that rotary, as a humanitarian organisation, was committed to giving back to society to create lasting impact.

She shared her experience as president of the Rotary Club of Asokoro, where the club adopted a village, Galuwi, in 2012.

“Since then, we’ve made significant impacts by addressing community needs, including sinking boreholes and renovating the health centre,” she said.

Speaking on the training session for the 200 district officers, Okoro highlighted its importance in preparing them for their roles in the 2025-2026 Rotary year.

She encouraged participants to identify underserved regions, collaborate with neighbouring clubs, and create flexible club models that aligned with modern lifestyles while upholding rotary’s values.

She also urged them to mentor new members, ensuring the sustainability and passion of each club.

District Governor, Mr Mike Nwanoshiri, outlined measurable goals for the district, including increasing impact, service projects, membership, and youth engagement.

He reaffirmed that in spite of economic challenges, Rotarians remained committed to serving humanity.

Past District Governor, Mr Ayoola Oyedokun, noted that the training aimed to strengthen the district’s service to communities.

“By training these individuals, they will take their knowledge back to the clubs they oversee, helping Rotarians understand the importance of community impact,” he explained.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rotary International is a global service organisation bringing together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, among other efforts.

NAN

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